CPT Educational Psychology & Student Motivation Flashcards
6 cards from real CPT practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 CPT Educational Psychology & Student Motivation flashcards as text
According to self-determination theory, which type of motivation leads to the most sustained academic engagement in students?
Answer: Intrinsic motivation driven by autonomy, competence, and relatedness
Self-determination theory identifies intrinsic motivation — rooted in autonomy, competence, and connection — as the most durable driver of academic engagement.
What is 'growth mindset' as defined by researcher Carol Dweck, and why is it relevant to tutoring?
Answer: The belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through effort, good strategies, and feedback
Growth mindset holds that abilities develop through effort and learning, which tutors can foster to help students persist through academic challenges.
A student consistently avoids attempting difficult math problems. This behavior is most likely an example of:
Answer: Learned helplessness or fear of failure undermining academic engagement
Avoidance of challenging tasks often signals learned helplessness or fear of failure, conditions tutors can address through incremental success and positive reinforcement.
Which psychological concept describes a student's belief in their own ability to succeed at a specific academic task?
Answer: Self-efficacy
Self-efficacy, as defined by Albert Bandura, is a student's confidence in their ability to complete a specific task, directly influencing effort and persistence.
How can a tutor most effectively build a student's self-efficacy?
Answer: By providing mastery experiences through progressively challenging tasks, honest feedback, and celebrating effort
Mastery experiences — successfully completing progressively harder tasks — are the most powerful source of self-efficacy according to Bandura's research.
What does 'attribution theory' explain in the context of student motivation?
Answer: How students explain the causes of their academic successes and failures, which affects future motivation
Attribution theory examines whether students attribute outcomes to internal controllable factors (effort) or external uncontrollable ones (luck), shaping future motivation.